Wednesday, February 17, 2010

Then you can start, to make it better, better, better!

Thursday! And the box with my CM/GM tiara must have blown off my front porch. Fine. I can handle it.

In real life, I'm working on a big story that might air Friday if the powers-that-be agree.

In book life, I'm back here to answer more questions. Graham's turn. And thank you for allowing me to take over your day!

GRAHAM: Working on my second book and living daily with the sudden realization that there is always more to learn about writing, I wonder if you could share a little on how your writing has changed/evolved on this latest book?

HANK: Book two. That's the one, I think, where you figure out if you can really do it. If you can make it through book two, and be thrilled, you've conquered a big hurdle. I was intimidated by book two, I must say. And I know FACE TIME is different from PRIME TIME. You realize--you're a writer. And it's work. It's your job. And it's--exhilarating.

More to learn. More to to learn. You’re so right—and I think we’re lucky. In television, you get a new job by sending out resume tapes, you know? (Now everything is on DVD, but it’s the same thing. ) You pick your best stories, whatever you think showcases your reporting skills, writing, interviewing, presentation, all that, and make a composite to send to potential news directors.

The goal in TV, of course, is to get to a bigger market. You start in, say, Ames, Iowa, which is market—what, 150? Then move to Buffalo, say, then Indianapolis, and then Philadelphia, then market one, New York, and then the network. And then you win the TV nomad game.

Anyway. A few years ago, a TV pal and colleague was looking at his resume tape, trying to see if it was still good to go. I walked by his viewing station and said something like, oh, isn’t it so frustrating, looking at your resume tape? When I screen mine, I always see all the changes I could make! What I should have said, should have asked, should have written, how I SHOULD have done the story. I can always think of a million tweaks.

And my friend looked baffled. Well no, he said, I was just thinking about how good this was.

See, that’s amazing to me. I can always find something to fix. Something to make better.When I first wrote PRIME TIME—the very first draft was 723 pages long! Whoa. So I had to cut 400 pages. 400 PAGES! And I must say, it was the most educational experience ever. I saw my repetition, my crutch words (like "just" and "so" and "shrugged"), my rhythm patterns, my redundancies, my unsuccessful cuteness, my flabby verbs… and that was so helpful in writing my next books.

Writing a short story was also a good education. I knew it had to be no more than 5000 words. So that made me choose every word very carefully. Why did I care? Why did I need that particular word? Was it the strongest best verb possible? Now, I do that in writing my novels, too. Because again, every word has to be the best possible word it can be. And every word counts.

Finally—(whew). I’ve also learned to be more careful about going the easy way. It’s hard to explain—but some phrases just come out as I’m typing. And then I think—why did you say that? Why EXACTLY that?

In DRIVE TIME, I examined each word. Each sentence. Each scene. Did the story need it? If not, it was a thrill to cut it out.

Book two is when you get to realize you've done it. And now people are waiting to see if you can do it again.

Kelli's home from the road! For a while at least! Yay, and congratulations, Kelli.

Just in time for a question.

KELLI: Hank, you’re an Emmy Award-winning investigative reporter and an Agatha-award winning author, superb at each of your twin careers, and constantly busy! How do you do it? Can you share some time-management secrets with us?

HANK: Ha. I wish. Kelli, my dear, it’s out of control. I said to Jonathan the other day—you know, I’d like to formally announce I’m in over my head.

Sleep was the first thing to go. Then vacation. Then fun. (We haven’t been on vac for five years or so, and the movies we saw at Christmas time were the first we’d seen in a theater for—a year. My movie experience in the last several years has encompassed falling asleep in the middle of Netflixes.) Cooking, too, not a chance. (I’m a good cook, but we now have a lot of carry out salmon. Jonathan is so patient.)

One thing I’m deciding—to do one thing at a time. Just do that ONE thing. Trying to multi-task—which I used to think I could do--results in headaches, mistakes and not accomplishing anything very successfully.

I’m happy though! Sometimes I’m running down the stairs the TV station—and I think—wait, where am I going? What was I doing? And then I burst out laughing. It’s what I always wished for, right?

So my absolute advice? Don’t forget to enjoy it.

******************************************

What can we give away today? In honor of the virtue of short stories, how about two wonderful anthologies: Boston Noir, edited by Dennis Lehane, and QUARRY, the new New England Anthology from Level Best Books, which contains my short story "On the House." One lucky commenter will win both! Plus a copy of the TIME book of your choice!

I remember my head (as in...also feeling over it.) Juggling the promotion and the writing is a challenge for me. How do you get so much done..other than not cooking, vacationing, etc. I've taken to saying that you have more hours in your day than the rest of us have! Are you formal about how much time you spend on each activity?

I loved reading about your book two insights. I thought this whole confidence thing would get easier as I went along, that as I began each new book I'd make 50% fewer errors or something until it trended down toward zero :) that has not happened. In fact, i'm chagrined to say, each new book starts with this ritual where i have to admit i've written every good word i'll ever write, and then argue with myself until i can attack the first page.

Hey Meredith! I love our new morning chats... And having a cold is like, the last straw. When I have a cold, sometimes it's hard to remember that it'll actually go away and I''ll be able to think again. Everything seems so difficult. Feel better!

Seriously? NO, I'm not formal about the time split. It just depends where in the process I am. You know?

I have given up worrying about the next book until it's time to worry about it. Consciously worrying, that is. And that'll be when the roll out of DRIVE TIME is over-ish. NOt that its ever really over, we hope.

But I can't write and promote in the same chunk of time. (Can you guys?)Because my brain is so focused on THIS book. So I'm trying, instead of worrying, to just be in DRIVE TIME mode. And then--out of it.

And Sophie, I should say--I think that's so interesting. I feel that way, too..sometimes I think, well, I've used up all my good stuff, and I'll never be able to come up with anything creative or original again.

And then..all you need is one little thought. And you're off... and too soon, worrying that you have too much. Got to love it!

Q&A with Criminal Minds!

Question of the Week

Each week the crime fiction authors of Criminal Minds respond to a question about writing, reading, murder and mayhem.Question of the Week:How do you choose your titles? Put a bunch of words in a hat and pull them out at random? Use a title generator? Does your publisher do it? Do you find it easy or hard? Do you start with a working title, or just start writing? Has the title ever stayed the same? Is there a title you wish you could steal?

Join the Community

Mondays with Susan

Susan C. Shea debuts a new series, a French village mystery, Love & Death in Burgundy in spring 2017 (St. Martin's Minotaur). The third in her Dani O'Rourke series came out in Feb. 2016. She lives in Marin County, CA.

Mondays with Brenda

With numerous award nominations for her books, Brenda Chapman pens the Stonechild and Rouleau police procedural series; the Anna Sweet novellas for adult literacy; and the Jennifer Bannon mysteries for young adults. Booklist recommends the Stonechild series "highly to crime-fiction fans looking for a new author". Brenda lives in Ottawa, Canada.

Tuesdays with Terry

Terry Shames writes the Macavity Award-winning Samuel Craddock series, set in small-town Texas. In 2015 BookPeople dubbed her one of the top five Texas mystery authors.

Tuesdays with R.J.

R.J. Harlick is the author of the acclaimed Meg Harris mystery series set in the wilds of Quebec. Her love for Canada’s untamed wilds is the inspiration for her series. The 4th book, Arctic Blue Death, was a finalist for the Arthur Ellis Award for Best Novel.

Wednesdays with Cathy

Cathy Ace writes the globe-trotting Cait Morgan Mysteries, (Bony Blithe winner 2015 - Agatha’s Canadian cousin), and the WISE Enquiries Agency Mysteries, set in her native Wales. She lives in rural British Columbia.

Wednesdays with Dietrich

Dietrich Kalteis is the award-winning author of Ride the Lightning, The Deadbeat Club, Triggerfish, House of Blazes and Zero Avenue. Nearly fifty of his short stories have been published, and he lives with his family on Canada’s west coast.

Thursdays with Catriona

Catriona McPherson is the Anthony, Agatha, Macavity, IndieFab and Lefty winning author of the DANDY GILVER series set in Scotland in the 1920s, as well as two darker stand-alones AS SHE LEFT IT and THE DAY SHE DIED. Catriona lives in northern California with a black cat and a scientist.

Thursdays with Jim

James W. Ziskin (Jim to his friends) is the author of the Edgar-, Anthony-, Barry-, Lefty-, and Macavity-nominated Ellie Stone Mysteries. He's 6'2", weighs 200 pounds, and writes like a girl.

Fridays with Paul

Paul D. Marks pulled a gun on the LAPD...and lived to tell about. A former "script doctor," Paul's novel WHITE HEAT is a 2013 SHAMUS AWARD WINNER. Publishers Weekly calls WHITE HEAT a "taut crime yarn." Paul is also the author of over thirty published short stories in a variety of genres, including several award winners. GHOSTS OF BUNKER HILL, from the 12/16 Ellery Queen Mystery Magazine, was voted #1 in the 2016 Ellery Queen Readers Poll.

Fridays with Danny

Danny Gardner's work has appeared in Beat to a Pulp, Out of the Gutter, and Literary Orphans Journal. His first novel, A NEGRO AND AN OFAY, will be released May 2017 by Down And Out Books. His short fiction will be featured in JUST TO WATCH HIM DIE, a Johnny Cash inspired anthology, published by Gutter Books in Winter 2016.